Chinese housewife buys New Zealand island as 'toy'

A housewife from the Chinese mainland has reportedly purchased an island in New Zealand as a "toy," reports the Sing Tao Daily.

Slipper Island, located 3 kilometers to the east of the Coromandel Peninsula in New Zealand's North Island, had been owned by the Needham family for the last 45 years, making it one of the few privately owned islands in New Zealand.

According to realtor Brian Brakenridge, the property, comprising 217 hectares of land, two suites, four resort houses, several beaches and an airstrip, was purchased for RMB34.4 million by Wendy Weimei Wu.

Wu, a self-described housewife, previously made headlines in 2010 when she bought a mansion in New Zealand's largest city Auckland, closing the biggest private home sale of the year.

Wu's daughter said that her mother "loves the island" and that it is "a toy for her." The Wu clan, however, have yet to decide what they want to do with their new toy.

[Image via Vladi Private Islands]